1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus on which a replaceable part is detachably mounted, a device having a detachable part and an image forming apparatus main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Many of today's image forming apparatuses such as copiers or printers are configured as apparatuses in which replaceable parts, such as a drum cartridge or a toner cartridge, are detachably connected to, or mounted on, the main body of the apparatus. A designer of a main apparatus body for such a device ordinarily assumes that any replacement parts attached to the main apparatus body will be parts whose use has been authorized by the manufacturer, such as original or recommended replacement parts, and designs and produces the main apparatus body so as to obtain desired image quality and a safety performance under such conditions.
However, when unauthorized replacement parts, including imitations, counterfeit parts, pirated parts, or the like, are attached to a main apparatus body designed and manufactured as described above, the operational conditions may fall outside the ranges assumed by the designer, and various disadvantages may result. For example, the likelihood of problems regarding the image quality, of malfunction, of failure of the main apparatus body, or of paper damage, such as tears or wrinkles, of printing sheets increases.
In order to avoid the above-described disadvantages, a technique is sometimes utilized in which whether or not amounted replaceable part is a genuine part is automatically detected, and, when it is detected that the mounted part is not a genuine part, an image forming operation is inhibited or an alarm is displayed. Such a technique is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication JP-A-2002-331686.
Publication JP-A-1-200272 discloses a technique in which the type of a cartridge including a photosensitive drum is identified, and, when a cartridge of a type other than specified is attached, a warning regarding the attachment of the different cartridge is displayed and a copying operation is inhibited. Further, JP-A-64-57272 also discloses a technique in which, when it is determined that an installed unit has reached the end of its service life, a warning is displayed and activation of the main body (the main body of the device) is stopped.
As described above, use of a replacement part such as an imitation product whose use is not authorized by the manufacturer is not preferable from the viewpoint of safety. However, some consumers desire to use such imitation products. Such a situation is not limited to the image forming apparatus and arises widely in devices to which replaceable parts are detachably attached.
As a method for switching an operation mode of an image forming apparatus such as a copier or printer, a method is known in which a service engineer having special knowledge switches the operation mode using specialized service tools, such as, for example, a control panel service mode, a specialized hand tool, proprietary software running on a PC, or the like. This method is employed when free switching by a user is not preferable from the viewpoint of safety.
However, in the above-described method, the user must very inconveniently contact the service engineer each time the user wishes the operation mode to be switched. Further, the manufacturer or a seller must dispatch the service engineer to the installed place of the image forming apparatus every time the operation mode is switched, which can greatly increase costs and reduce the profitability of service packages.